Volney

Fulton lawmakers have decided against pursuing a proposal to dissolve the city.

Oswego County Legislator Frank Castiglia of Fulton had encouraged the common council to apply for a state-funded study that would have considered the benefits of splitting the city in two and combining it with the nearby villages of Granby and Volney. The idea was an attempt to cut public service costs for Fulton's residents, whose taxes are increasing as the population declines.

More than a century ago, Fulton was formed when the villages of Oswego Falls and Fulton, which were separated by the Oswego River, merged. Oswego County Legislator Frank Castiglia says now, it's time for the city to split into two again.

Castiglia says the cost of maintaining a police and fire department for the city of 11,000 is ballooning beyond what Fulton residents can afford.

"We don’t have the people, the population or the industry in this city to support the costs for those public safety departments," Castiglia said.